“…towns and buildings will not be able to become alive, unless they are made by all the people in the society, and unless these people share a common pattern language, within which to make these buildings, and unless this pattern language is alive itself.”
– A Pattern Language, Christopher Alexander

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See the full architectural plan

1010 Highland Drive,
Bellingham, Washington, USA

Houses are homes, places where we eat, and sleep, and entertain, and retreat. In an increasingly connected world, they are also places where we often work, collaborate and innovate.

Highland Hemp House is a challenge we have taken up to retrofit a 45-year-old home with hemp and lime, 100% natural materials that make for an ideal, healthy living environment – in a uniquely  innovative city. Bellingham, with its beautiful setting between the  Cascade Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, has long been a leading proponent of sustainable living, with a long history of backing the "green" movement. We are a progressive, innovative community which in 2007 was chosen as the EPA’s Green Power Partner of the Year.

The truly green home of the future

The exterior walls are only 4¾ inches– including the cedar siding.  A vaulted ceiling over the east side of the house has only car decking and ¾ in mineral board under the roof.  Looking for non-toxic insulation, hemp fiber bats were an attractive idea—but they were not made anywhere in North America.  In searching for “hemp”, however, this word “hempcrete” kept showing up.

Highland Hemp House is in a neighborhood zoned for single family homes where residents generally have minimal interaction.  The plan is to create a small living space and artist studio space above the flat roof part of the house.  Currently the second floor consists of a small, one room studio.  The main floor of the house is intended to be communal.  There will be two guest rooms, bathrooms, a kitchen, diningroom, meeting room, and library.

It is intended that the house will become a model for integrated systems of energy, living, and purpose–a model that uses natural building materials as well as high tech energy solutions.  It is also intended that this model come about through a process of collaboration.

But the project is also an initiative to join together like-minded people who understand the need to restore the balance between man and nature, to change the way we build and consume energy, and in doing so to help clean up the planet.